johnson



(No Model.) y l 2 sheets-sheen 1. F. A. JOHNSON. RAILWAY CROSSING.

lPfaen'td July 18, '1893.

2 sheets-Sheena; 1E.A. JOHNSON. RAILWAY CROSSING.

Paten-ted July 18; 1"8`93 (No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' FREDERICK A. JOHNSON, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, AssICNOR OF ONE-HALF To JAMESH. EVANS,

OF SAME PLACE.

RAILWAY-CROSSING.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 501,721, dated July 18,1893.

Application filed May 27, H92.

Serial No. 434,559. (No model.)

their outer ends supported immediately above To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK A. JOHNSON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and Statev fulImprovement in Railway-Crossings, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to railway crossings or intersections and the objects( of my invention are, to provide a simple and reliable Ineanswhereby a substantially continuous rail connection is formed at trackcrossings or intersections; to Obviate the necessity of spacing theintersecting rails of a railway; to admit of the `passage therethroughof the wheel iianges and to otherwise produce a substantial andapproximately continuous line of track rail at the crossings thereof.These objects I accomplish in the mannerillustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure l is a plan view of myimproved crossingmechanism. Fig. 2 is a detail view in perspective shown partly insection of the side framework and means for locking-the Switch table.Fig. 3 is a central vertical section on line :l: of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4is a detail View in perspective, showing partly in section a portion ofthe table base and rackbar for moving the switch or crossing table.

Similar letters refer to si milar parts throughout the several views.

a represents the metallic base-plate or stationary portion of myimproved crossing consisting as shown, of a disk-shaped bottom portionwhich is provided with an upwardly extending circumferential lange b,thus forming substantially a cup-shape, as shown. The ange b is providedon its inner side with a shoulder b which forms a circular seat therein,as shown. With the bottom portion of the castingaisformedupon the upperside thereof, a central upwardly projecting rounded bearing projectionb2 upon which is pivotally supported a central pivot block c, the latterhaving formed in its under side acentral rounded socket which receivesthe projection b2 ofthe casting a. This central'pivot block c is asshown in the drawings, provided with side shoulders or ledges d, uponwhich rest the inner ends of I-beams or other frame beams e which extendhorizontally therefrom and have the shoulder b of the base angeb.Asshown in the drawings, these I-beams e are connected 1 by cross-beamse which extend at right-anof Ohio, have invented a certain new andusegles with thebeams e between the latterat formed has depending fromthe under side thereof, bearing blocks or boxings f between each pair ofwhich is pivoted upon ashaft f', a balancing wheel f2, said wheels beingadapted to travel upon the base a.

As shown at g, I provide the upper side of the pivot block c with asuitable depression or oil receptacle which communicates withthe'surface of the pivot projection b2 through a suitable oil channelg', formed through the center of the block c. This oil depression g isnormally covered by a suitable plate g2.

The frame-work produced by the connection and use of the beams e and eis covered as partially shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings by suitableplanks or sheeting h, thus producing the circular platform h', shown.

2 i2 represent track rail sections which are supported and secured tothe upper side of ing on opposite sides of the center of the platformandv forming chords of said platform circle. As shown in the drawings,the ends of these rails i2 and their anges are vcut to correspond to thecurve of the outer edge of the platform h with which they are ush.

7c lo and la k represent respectively portions of rails which may be themain track rail, the ends of which as shown lin the drawings, rest uponthe outer side of the ange b, the rail portions bearing correspondingreference letters being opposite or in alignment with each other.

m m and m m respectively represent end portions of track rails, whichextend at an angle with the rails lo lo and the ends of which rest uponthe upper side of the base ange b. The inner ends of these railrporAtions m and m are cut tocont'orm to the circle described by the outeredgeof the plat form h adjacent to which they are supported. Asindicated at l, each of the rails m and fm has its ange on its outerside cut away to admitof the ends of the rails 7c k abuttingagainst IOOthe sides of the railsm vm and'thvus bringing? the surface of vsaidrails' adjacent vto1a11ld flush with each other. v

Formed in the base Iiange bis an elongated slotted opening n. On theinner side of said flange and opposite said slotted opening is ar;ranged a curved rack-bar ovvhichs prefer-j? ably supported from theunder side ofthe? beams e. With the teeth of the rack bar o are adaptedto engage the teeth o of the curved or rounded head 02 of a suitableleverl o3, which may be fulcrumed at a suitable distance from saidcrossing. At a point opp0, site the rack bar o is secured to the underyside of the beams e and adjacent to the'hase'l liange b, a suitable barp which is provided atdesirableppoints:Withopenings p. f

q `representsga Istop-pin, passing througha suitahleopening in thebase-flange brand-hee ingsu rrounded luyal coiledfspring q2 therein, gone end of which yis connectedwith said stopl pin and its:innerfendibearing-by theipressure of said-spring against the outersideof the. bar 10.

The'method of -operatingand utilizingzm-y; improved-railway crossingis.:as -followsz -S,u,p-; posingthe crossing table to-be inthe positionshown in Fig. l ofthe drawings, that is, withl the table rails 2 inconnection or in abutment With the innery endsof the track :rails/ffmlmi, i; it Will-be seenthatsaidtablexrailswl2 Will'serve f to operate toApreserve the' continuity of lsaid: rails m mf. In case it is desired'to connect the rails 7c .andk and form-substantially .a' continuationofthe latterfat the 4crossing, the table 7z:may ybe rotatedthrough-movement of the -lever oa-and `'its-engagement with theracki 0,until the ends lof ,the table rails/t'2 are in alignmentwith'the ends ofthe-rails 7c 7c. "Ing this manner'it Willbe seenythat theiangnlar :1innerendsor points ofthe'rails m will serve-` as :tlllingpieces to:provide a continuous track j surface-from the rails zato the rails 7o.Thei openings p ofthevb'ar p are-so 'located -in said i4 bar as tovcausethe pin q to drop into onefof said openings YWhenfa connection `of therails of the above described character is effected, said pin thusserving to .lock the :crossingr `at the Ypoint of intersection and .thata connection o'f the rails'maybe producedwhich Awill obviateA thewear'or jolt usually contributed to cars passing over crossings.

It will be observed that my improved crossing or switch table may beproduced at a reasonable cost of manufacture and Without complication,and that its construction is such as to require but slight power tooperate the same.

Having now fully described my invention,

iwhat I claim, and-desire toisecure'lbyLetters :Batentf is- 1. Inarailwaycrossing, 'the combination ,o'f theLba-sefaghaving langedsidesb,:a circuflar frame pivoted centrall-y'thereon Aasdescribed,'fpermanenttrack rail sections 2 on said frame havingtheirends'cuttoconform fr, .to the circle described i-bywsaid frame iand mainorsWitch-tl-'aek rails having their ends vcut in `the arc .of thecircledescribed 'by said iframe and :supported uponsaid base flange b, saidrails 712. adapted vtoabe broughtiasdescribed, into:alignment 'witheither saidmain or switch zrails, substantially as,y specified.

2. Inra railway crossing, the combination ofthe `base afside fiange bformed therewith, ',a circular frame. pivoted centrally fon `-said base,Wheels f2 journaled in boxingsdepen'd- .ling from said frame andadaptedto bearon said base, fpermanenttrackrail sections i2 on said framehaving their ends cutrto conform '.to the circle describedfbysaidframeand main or switch track rails having their ends'cutin thearcof the circle=described bysaid frame said rails i? adapted .to bebrought into align- Vment with 'said :main or switch rails,substantially asI specified.

FREDERICK A. JOHNSON.

In presence of- O. B. BAKER,

C. C. SHEPHERD.

